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NatPack
:For a list of members of this faction, please see Category:NatPackers. The NatPack are fans of the human doctor, Natalie Lambert. This is one of the original six factions that took part in the first Forever Knight War. Individually, a member of the faction is called a NatPacker. Faction History In late 1993, in reaction to the establishment of the Cousins as followers of LaCroix, discussion on the FORKNI-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU mailing list supported the creation of other affiliations, including one for fans of Natalie. At the time of the first War, in January 1994, the faction members called themselves some variant of Au-NATurelles. (The spelling varies considerably.) However, in the concluding posts of the war, they declared their intention to find a better name. By FKWar 2 (July 1994), they had decided on the name "Natpack" or "NatPack". Traditionally, to become a member of any Forever Knight faction all a fan needs to do is declare the affiliation; moreover, one can declare as many affiliations as one likes. Many factions then develop a sense of community through e-mail loops, e-groups, Yahoo!Groups, and chat rooms which enable members to talk to and make friends among people within the fandom who have similar preferences. However, to maintain their sense of uniqueness, the NatPack decided to admit people to these community forums only if they had no other affiliation. As a result of being denied membership (whether for this or some other reason), a group of fans who liked Natalie Lambert formed a separate faction, the MadNatters, which was active for a couple of years, starting in 1997.Personal correspondence from Stephanie Babbitt to Greer Watson, 18 January 2012. As original members of the NatPack drifted out of the fandom, its numbers dropped. With its decline as an active faction, the NatPackers ceased to update their faction site; and it disappeared from the web in or around 2002. Nevertheless, there are still fans on list who identify, to a greater or lesser degree, with the faction. In subsequent wars, remaining NatPackers have tended to declare their allegiance to the Nick and NatPack, which has assumed the traditional NatPack role of supporting Natalie in addition to its main role as a couple faction. Faction Headquarters From the first War, the NatPack has congregated at the morgue, using that as their headquarters. Faction Websites * Natalie's Bed and Breakfast ** current version - in the Forever Knight Website Archive ** Wayback Machine copy of original site Yahoo! Groups * Natalie's Friends at http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/nataliesfriends FK Wars The NatPack took part in FK Wars One through Eleven. It did not take part in subsequent wars, in which its functional role of supporting Natalie was taken by the Nick and NatPackers. Characteristics Each Forever Knight faction has its own characteristics, and tends to appeal more to some fans than others. Natalie is a professional woman, specifically in the medical field; and the faction therefore has interest for fans of strong female characters. She tends to dress either informally or conservatively, and comes across as a good, decent, normal woman. Her attraction to Nick—often interpreted to mean that, if she should find a cure for him, they will get married and have children—appeals to those inclined towards a traditional "happy ending" romance. Natalie is, in many ways, a modern professional version of the girl next door. From the start, therefore, similar characteristics were seen in the NatPack. At the beginning of War Two, for example, Janette is acting as administrative assistant in charge of all the fan mail from people declaring their affiliation. She expresses her frustration to Nick, who picks up a letter from a prospective NatPacker: In War stories, NatPackers are often depicted as preferring such respectable, conservative clothes as flowered dresses, pastel suits, and pearl necklaces. In addition, the NatPack are noted for the following characteristics. Clothing The NatPackers often wear scrubs, in imitation of Natalie at the morgue. Not only do they often wear them in fiction (i.e. in their War posts), but they have also been known to wear them in RL at conventions. When not wearing scrubs, they typically wear such respectable, conservative clothes as flowered dresses, pastel suits, and pearl necklaces. At conventions: * A report on MediaWest on FKSPOILR@LISTS.PSU.EDU in 1996 mentioned the presence of "hordes of Natpackers in scrubs and labcoats".From a post made by Name Withheld 2 on FKSPOILR@LISTS.PSU.EDU on 29 May 1996 (archived). * According to Valerie Kessler,This information comes from a post made by Valerie Kessler to FORKNI-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU on 3 April 2002 (archived on KnightWind's Nook). at Nigel Bennett's solo Q&A at the 1998 Visions convention, "the attending NatPackers all sat in a row in our scrubs to devil him". In War stories: * In FKWar 7, the NatPack luggage was sent to the Raven, where a group of Ravenettes rifled through it. Among the dresses and suits (all rejected as insufficiently stylish for their taste), they found a large number of sets of scrubs:From the post "Sorting Luggage" (archived). * At the end of FKWar 12, various offerings were left as tribute to fans who had died since the previous wars, including Natpacker, Judy Freudenthal. Jen, a Natpacker playing with the RatPack for the duration, left a "traditional assortment of flowers plus a scrub clad teddy bear among the memorials.".From the War 12 Tribute to Marci Cheeseman and Judy Freudenthal Group Unity The NatPack are reputed to act with one mind. This curious characteristic was commented on in War 7:This information comes from the post "One Good Ring" by Susan M. Garrett (archived). Members The following members of the NatPack are recorded from their website: Amparo Bertram, Finabair, Amy Lynn Hull, Kimberley Dawn Low, Valerie Lynn Meachum, Selma Therese McCrory, Leslie Ann Remencus, J. Lynn Stapleton, Maureen Elizabeth Wynn, sah, Sylvie, and Nymue (Robyn). See also * Screen captures of Natalie Lambert * Dark NatPack * Nick and NatPackers * Dark Nick and NatPack References * Category:Fan Factions Category:Factions based on character Category:Original factions